Kingdom Hearts: 8 Differences Between The Original And The Final Mix Version (2025)

The launch of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix in 2013 was an important event for most Kingdom Hearts fans, as it would be the first time that the Final Mix version of the first game would be available for players outside of Japan. After all, this was a huge upgrade to an already incredible game that added a lot of fascinating and useful new content.

Every subsequent re-release and collection of these games – whether it’s for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Steam, etc. - would include Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, so the original PS2 version of the game has slowly been forgotten about. As such, it's likely that some fans are unaware of the differences between the original Kingdom Hearts and the Final Mix version.

8 Enemies Were Recolored

Most Of The Heartless Sport A New Color Scheme

This is immediately one of the most notorious changes in the Final Mix version of Kingdom Hearts, as most of the Heartless had their entire color schemes altered. This not only applies to the regular enemies, as most of the imposing Heartless bosses are also sporting different colors.

There’s no official explanation as to why Square Enix decided to change the color scheme of the Heartless, but most fans assume it was done in order to keep the game fresh and unique. However, this ended up being a relatively divisive change since most players feel like these new recolors look less intimidating now, not really fitting the Heartless' overall aesthetic.

7 Special Heartless Were Introduced

Crafting The Ultima Weapon Is Even Harder Now

Kingdom Hearts Final Mix not only completely changed the designs of its Heartless enemies; it also added a collection of new ones. Most of them are special enemies that can be found throughout the different Disney worlds and require Sora to take part in some fun mini-games. If he’s successful in said games, these enemies will drop rare materials that can be used in the Moogle workshop in order to create brand-new items.

While these new Heartless are unique, and their mini-games are solid enough, some players are not too fond of their addition since they make the process of getting the Ultima Weapon slightly more challenging. The most powerful Keyblade in the game can only be fabricated after crafting every other item in the Moogle workshop, so finding and defeating these special Heartless is mandatory for those who are interested in fully completing the game. Though the added requirements can seem daunting to some, getting to face the Neoshadows that were first seen in the original game’s Secret Ending is admittedly very satisfying.

6 New Abilities Were Added

Sora’s Combos Are Way Flashier Now

See Also

KH and KH: FM Differences??

When looking at the first Kingdom Hearts, it is immediately noticeable that Sora’s combos are not as flashy or complex as his combos in future installments. And this is completely fine, seeing as this game is more of an RPG and less of a hack and slash. Nevertheless, the Final Mix version tried to spice things up by giving Sora some interesting new combo finishers.

New abilities like Stun Impact, Gravity Break, Ripple Drive, Hurricane Blast, and Zantetsuken make the combat of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix feel way flashier and more in line with the dynamic style of subsequent titles. Not to mention that they can deal a lot of damage, which can be extremely useful against the wide variety of challenging optional bosses that this game has to offer.

5 New Keyblades Can Be Obtained

Two Challenging Bosses Now Give The Player A Great Reward

The different Keyblades that Sora can collect and wield throughout his adventure are definitely one of the most appealing aspects of Kingdom Hearts. So it made sense that Square Enix would see the enhanced Final Mix version as an opportunity to design and create new ones for Sora to make use of.

As a result, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix included two new Keyblades: One-Winged Angel and Diamond Dust, which can be obtained after defeating Sephiroth and the Ice Titan respectively, two really challenging secret bosses. Not only are both incredibly well-designed, but they also serve as nostalgic references to the Final Fantasy franchise.

4 Fixed An Infamous Mistake

The Red Trinity In Halloween Town Can Now Be Activated

Before the dawn of online updates and DLC, enhanced versions of games like this one worked perfectly as an excuse for developers to fix bugs, glitches, and other mistakes. And that’s exactly what happened with Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, as it finally corrected one of the biggest oversights in the original game that frustrated countless players.

There's a Red Trinity Mark in the Oogie's Manor area of Halloween Town that would disappear from the game if players didn’t activate it before the battle against Oogie Boogie himself. After this fight, it was completely gone, preventing players who missed it from completing the game 100%. Luckily, the Final Mix version added it back in, and the Red Trinity Mark can be found in the Manor Ruins area that is left behind after the aforementioned boss fight.

3 Adds A Significant Expansion To The Story

Brand-New Cutscenes Were Added To Explain Things A Bit Better

While the story of the first Kingdom Hearts is nowhere near as confusing as the plots of its many sequels, it is still quite long and expansive. So it was a clever idea by Square Enix to add new cutscenes in the Final Mix version that expanded on it to the point that they even gave players some much-needed explanations.

Without a doubt, the new scenes centered on Riku are the most welcomed addition to the plot in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. Players can now get a better look at his dark journey, from the moment he arrived in Hollow Bastion and was manipulated by Maleficent to his journey through the Realm of Darkness that led to his reunion with Mickey Mouse. Aside from this subplot, other new cutscenes are also greatly appreciated, like the intense fight between Cloud and Sephiroth.

2 A New Secret Ending

Slowly Sets Up The Stage For Kingdom Hearts 2

Kingdom Hearts 1 famously featured a secret ending titled "Another side, Another story...," which showcased a mysterious figure in a black coat facing a bunch of powerful Heartless in a huge city. This obviously left many players intrigued, as it was actually hinting at events that would transpire in future installments.

But if that didn't offer enough intrigue, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix features a second, more extensive secret ending, appropriately titled "Another Side, Another Story [deep dive]," which expands on the content from the previous ending by adding glimpses of iconic moments that happen later, like Xemnas' encounter with Roxas in the Realm of Darkness or the intense clash between Riku and Roxas in The World That Never Was. While the original “Another side, Another story…” felt more like a proof of concept, it’s obvious that [deep dive] was made with the plot of Kingdom Hearts 2 already in mind.

1 A Mysterious Secret Boss

Unknown Would End Up Becoming One Of The Series’ Most Important Characters

Most of the challenging secret bosses of this game were already present in the original English release, but there was one that was only included in the Final Mix version, which meant that it could only be experienced by Japanese players for more than 10 years. Luckily, this ultimately changed when Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix was released, finally giving fans all over the world a chance to face Unknown.

For years, this was the only other connection to the events that were already alluded to in the secret ending: A mysterious figure wearing a black robe that claimed to know who Sora was and even told him he was incomplete. Not to mention that he fought with some really bizarre powers, like red weapons similar to lightsabers, energy barriers and blasts of electricity. The actual fight is hard and entertaining, but the biggest impact that Unknown had was leaving small hints towards important events from subsequent games. Kingdom Hearts experts won’t take long to notice that this boss is actually Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII.

6Images

6Images

Kingdom Hearts

Action RPG

Platform(s)

PS2

Released

September 17, 2002

Developer(s)

Square Enix